Trainer Kites
Trainer kites are just a miniature version of a Kiteboarding kite. They range in size from 1 sq. meter to 5 sq. meters which means they have much less power than full sized Kiteboarding kite making them easier to learn kite control with. It is important to remember Kiteboarding is at least 70% kite handling skills which makes learning these skills essential. This article will focus on why you should consider learning to fly with a trainer kite as well as options for sizes and types.
First things first, why would you want to spend money on buying a trainer kite just to end up buying a full sized kite? The answer to this comes down to safety and simplicity. If you don’t know how to control a kite and try to learn on a regular kite not only will you get extremely frustrated, you could get injured as well because of the massive amount of power which you are unable to control. I learned to fly without a trainer and wouldn’t wish the experience on anyone. It’s sort of like learning to drive a car on a busy city street it’s difficult, frustrating, and with all that power and lack of skill you’re likely to get in an accident. Moral of the story learn with a trainer kite unless you have previous flying skills or for some reason are determined to learn with a fill sized kite.
Ok so now that we have decided that frustration and trips to the ER are not for us lets move on to types and sizing of trainer kites. Most of the kites you find on the market are going to be foil kites ranging from 1 to 5 sq. meters with either 2 or 4 lines.
The reason they’re foil kites instead of the inflatable kites you are likely to use riding is because they don’t have bladders that can pop when you crash and believe me you will crash…a lot. Which brings me to my next point trainer kites are made to be crashed over and over again without ripping. This is yet another reason supporting learning with a trainer instead of a full sized kite. Chances are you will either rip, pop, or get your expensive fill sized kite stuck in a tree before you learn to control it.
I would suggest only looking at trainers 2.5-4 sq. meters. Anything lower and you might as well just have a stunt kite because it’s not going to have the pull the accurately simulate flying a full sized kite. Any thing over 4 and the pull could be too strong to allow you to focus on the technical flying aspects. If you have some previous flying experience and the drive to get a kite which can pull you around on the beach you could get something in the 4-6sq. meter range.
Finally I believe that a 4 line would be a better buy then a 2 line. Because they will more accurately simulate full sized kite flying.
Now get out there and let’s learn how to fly the kite. It is important that you fully understand how to control the kite before you think about getting a larger kite. Get out whenever there is wind and fly as long as you can. The more you fly the more natural it will feel making learning to Kiteboard easier. Also always fly with a partner it is safer and more fun to learn with some one else. As an added bonus you could go in on a trainer with a partner and then sell it when you have both learned and are ready for a full sized kite.
